1. Field of Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to methods and systems adapted to classify data. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to folder-based methods and systems adapted to classify data.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Electronic records (e.g., emails, documents, videos, photographs, music, etc.) are typically stored on a computer system and organized by a classifier that defines decision boundaries to separate records from each other within the computer system. Folder-based classification allows a user to build a classifier by creating a folder set, wherein each folder within the folder set is instantiated by a number of exemplary records based on some arbitrary similarity (i.e., distance) between the records. The folder set as a whole acts as the classifier, wherein new records are compared against the user-created folder set and can be automatically sorted into the most appropriate folder. If the distance between a record and the folders is more than a threshold value, then the record is sorted into a default folder.
While conventional folder-based classifiers are a generally useful record management tool, a considerable amount of time and effort must be invested by the user to initialize and continually maintain the classifier. For example, folder sets of many conventional folder-based classifiers must be manually added to, or deleted from a folder set and the contents thereof must be manually modified to reflect the user's evolving needs.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide a system and method for implementing a folder-based classifier that automatically creates a folder set, that automatically adds folders to, and deletes folders from the folder set, and that automatically modifies the contents of existing folders based on user feedback.